"Namugongo" is the name for Oak Hill's partnership with Uganda Martyrs Seminary (UMS), a theological college situated in Namugongo on the edge of Kampala in Uganda.

Money donated by present and former members of Oak Hill is used by UMS to provide bursaries for tuition fees, develop facilities at the college, and support the running of a bi-annual preaching conference led by Oak Hill students. If you would like to support Namugongo or find out more, please go here.

History of Namugongo and UMS

Situated 20 kilometres to the north-east of Kampala, Namugongo was from 1760 a site of execution. Yet in 1886 it came to be associated with the proclamation of the gospel, when 25 young men, who were among the first Ugandan followers of the Lord Jesus, refused to renounce their faith in Christ and were burned alive on the orders of King Mwanga.

Standing next to a memorial marking those deaths, the Uganda Martyrs Seminary has been engaged since 1976 in furthering the proclamation of that same gospel by training men and women for ministry in the Anglican Church.

As the primary training college for Church of Uganda clergy, the college plays an important role in the national church. A high proportion of Anglican clergy in the country have passed through the seminary, which is held in high regard by both local and denominational church leaders. That many students have left family in other parts of the country in order to attend the college is an indication of their passion to learn and be trained. That passion is carried through into ministry placements, with students being sent out each weekend to assist in a local parish.

Partnership between UMS and Oak Hill

A strong bond has developed between Oak Hill and the seminary over a number of years, resulting in regular preaching conferences for both students and alumni, as well as regular prayer and financial support. Oak Hill's Namugongo Fund has, for example, contributed to the cost of the library and building facilities and sponsored students who would otherwise be unable to afford the fees.

Not only that, Chris and Ros Howles - former Oak Hill students - moved out to serve at UMS in 2011. Through them, the partnership has been able to develop, and you can keep up-to-date with their ministry via their blog (see here) or by following Chris on Twitter: @ChrisHowles.

In all, the opportunities for Oak Hill to make a very significant contribution to the future of the seminary (and thus to the growth of the kingdom in Uganda and east Africa more generally) are striking. Prayer and financial support will continue to be highly valued, as will Oak Hill students and alumni regularly heading out to help run preaching conferences.

Please pray that, through this partnership, more and more Christians in Uganda would be equipped to make disciples through the faithful teaching of the Bible.

Namugongo updates

To catch live updates from the bi-annual preaching conferences, follow @OakHillUganda on Twitter.